Squat Variations

When it comes to building leg muscles, the squat is the king of movements. Not only is a squat going to target the quad muscles, but it is also going to hit the hamstrings and the glutes. Some squat variations will even work the lower back. And no matter what squat variation you decide to try, they will all give your abs a workout.

Basically, if there is one exercise that you must be absolutely sure to include in your workout program, the squat is it.

This doesn't mean, however, that you should only stick to a plain, old, regular-style squat. There are a vast number of squat variations that you can perform, all of which will stimulate the muscle fibers in a slightly different way and, therefore, help you to continually see results.

Problems may occur with your muscle-building progress when you stick with any given program for too long because the body will just adapt to it and will not change because it feels no need to. By regularly changing up the version of squats that you do, you can prevent this from happening.

Here are a number of squat variation exercises you should try, along with a brief description of how the movements are performed.

Avoid doubling up on squat variations during the same workout. As long as you choose one and perform three to four sets, lifting heavy, that should be enough of a stimulus on your legs (in combination with whatever other leg movements you do) to get a good workout in.

Back squat

The back squat really stimulates the quads and should be performed with the barbell held just across your upper back. Be sure that when you're doing this you adjust your back position slightly more forward so the weight doesn't throw you off-balance (so you don't fall backward).

Hack squat

The hack squat is a slightly more advanced type of squat variation and will have you holding the barbell just behind your legs. Again, with this squat variation, as you move down into the squat movement, your upper body will tend to lean forward slightly, toward the knees, to compensate for the barbell. While you need to move forward slightly in order to move closer to the back of your heel area, you also want to be sure that when you're doing this squat variation to keep your chin up, facing forward in order to effectively remain balanced.

Sissy squat

The next squat variation that you should try is the sissy squat — this will really test your balance. And because of the position this squat variation calls for, it will also call the abdominal muscles into play, thus giving you a great core workout at the same time. In order to do this specific squat variation, start by holding a dumbbell behind your legs or holding a weighted plate in front of your chest. Once you’ve found your balance you are to begin the squat motion, leaning backward with the body while simultaneously raising your heels off the ground.

Note that you will perform this exercise with a great deal less weight than you would for a normal squat because of the bending-backward positioning. You must also be very careful to pay full attention to how your back feels while you execute this squat variation, being sure to stop if you feel pain. Trying to keep your back in a good, straight alignment (although tilted diagonally) will also help to keep you pain free. After you’ve reached the bottom of the squat (going as far down as you feel comfortable), return to the upright position once again before completing another rep. If you're having trouble maintaining your balance throughout the sissy squat, which is a very common issue, use one arm to hold onto a chair or a beam for support until you get used to the movement.